IN THE GHETTO • 1969

When country artist Mac Davis wrote this socially conscious song, he first titled it “The Vicious Cycle” to underscore the point that those born in poverty face terrible odds trying to break out. Davis later told the website SongFacts that neither Colonel Parker nor RCA Records wanted it released as a single, fearing that its strong social message would turn listeners off. “But Elvis believed in it,” Davis says. “He wanted to do a song that said something.” Fans rewarded him by making “Ghetto” his first Top 10 hit in four years, extending his late-’60s comeback. It went on to be covered by singers from Sammy Davis Jr. to Dolly Parton, as well as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and even Memphis rap group Three Six Mafia.